COMPOSITION AND CARIOGENIC POTENTIAL OF DENTAL PLAQUE FLUID

Our understanding of the chemical events that take place at the tooth- plaque interface has improved greatly through studies of the chemical composition and properties of dental plaque fluid. In the absence of f ermentable carbohydrate, plaque fluid has been found to be supersatura ted with respect to tooth mineral and other calcium phosphate phases, thus exhibiting the potential to support calculus formation and the re mineralization of incipient carious lesions. Following the exposure to fermentable carbohydrate, the degree of saturation of plaque fluid de creases rapidly, primarily due to lactic acid production and the lower ing of plaque fluid pH. The extent of these chemical changes has been shown to be associated with differences in caries history. Such studie s have been facilitated by the recent development of microanalytical t echniques. Unfortunately, little is known about the relationship betwe en the observed chemical changes in plaque fluid and the microbial com position of plaque. Limited information is also available on the assoc iation of immune factors in plaque fluid with dental disease.